In many electronic devices, such as mobile communication devices, displays present information to a user. For example, polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) display technology can display video and text information. These optical displays, especially touch panel displays, typically comprise a transparent or a high gloss reflective surface thermoplastic or glass layer. While these transparent layers have excellent transparency and are physically strong, they suffer both aesthetic and functional degradation due to the build up of oils and other contaminants during use. This is particularly true for the display components of products which receive significant handling, such as persona data assistants (PDAs) and cell phones. For these displays, any type of fouling is especially undesirable as it tends to be very noticeable to the user when the display is not in use and can result in a less than satisfactory electronic device appearance.
While screen protectors are available for many of these products, they do not offer an optimal solution. Most are based on anti-fouling coatings that temporarily reduce smudges, but also become scratched or otherwise degraded, necessitating that the consumer periodically replace them. Some known anti-fouling coatings comprising polymers typically become less transparent due to fabrication methods. Additionally, the fabrication processes for known anti-fouling coatings are unnecessarily complex and expensive. For example, see “Fabrication of Super Water-Repellent Surfaces by Nanosphere Lithography”, Jau-Ye Shiu et al., Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc., Vol. 823, pages W11.4.1-6, 2004.
Other known solutions require power and shorten the battery life of the electronic device.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an apparatus by which smudges on a viewable surface are unnoticeable, without any power drain. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.